Door holding device



March 30, 14 Q HAWKS 2,673,760

' DOOR HOLDING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zara 9, 3 M

March 30, 1954 o. J. HAWKS 2,673,760

DOOR HOLDING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I TNVENTOR.

BY I 7 A ma W March 30, 1954 o. J. HAWKS 2,673,760

DOOR HOLDING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTOR. BY M March 30, 1954 o. J. HAWKS 3,

DOOR HOLDING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 m 1; INVENTOR.

d-9%M BYhzl Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR HOLDING DEVICE Otis .l. Hawks, Portsmouth, Va. Application May 9, 1949, Serial No. 92,189 '7 Claims. (Cl. 292338) The present invention relates to devices primarily adapted for use in association with swinging doors and by means of which a door, after having been swung through a predetermined angle in an opening movement, will be held or secured against closure until such time as closure is sought.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided. a door holding device of extreme simplicity and which is not dependent upon friction between two new moving parts to maintain the door with which it is associated in open position, the device, in fact, operating in a substantially frictionless manner. The improved door holder may be used in association with doors of all types, in fact to secure against accidental closure not only light weight doors such as screen doors, but doors of the heaviest character such as metal or metal covered fire doors, and indeed may be employed to releasably maintain in predetermined angular relationship relatively movable members other than doors and door frames, such, for instance, as swinging windows, hatchways of boats, Windshields and the like, although finding its greatest field of usefulness in and around dwelling houses, office buildings, public buildings, etc., where the occupants desire rather frequently to maintain doors or windows open during certain hours and to then return them to closed position.

The improved door holder may be applied with great advantage to a door which is equipped with an automatically actin door closing mechanism but need not be used in association with a door so equipped in that it will function with entire satisfaction as a releasable securing means for any swinging door, whether or not that door is provided with a closing mechanism.

The invention comprises essentially an elongated member which has great strength as a column, so that it may strongly resist axial thrust without deformation, and which at the same time may be readily deflected or laterally distorted, at least when unloaded, so as to be rendered incapable of acting as a column, together with means for mounting the ends of this member, one end upon the door and the other upon the door frame, in such manner that, when the door is swung through a predetermined angle the elongated member becomes a column of suficient strength to prevent accidental closure of the door, the arrangement being such, however, that when a substantial pressure is exerted upon the door in such direction as to tend to close it the column will collapse and the door be rendered freely movable. In the usual case I prefer to employ as the elongated member or door holding strut a helical spring of common type. A short length of the spring, at each end thereof, is gripped by a part which is in turn secured for limited movement to a bracket or mounting adapted to be afiixed to the door or door frame, as the case may be. At least one such part is so designed and mounted that when pressure is applied to the door tending to close the same this part will be actuated by the thrust of the spring in such mannor as to laterally deflect or distort that portion of the spring immediately adjacent such part, instant collapse of the spring or strut from end to end immediately following, its column action being wholly destroyed in an instantaneous manner so that it may not further oppose closing movement of the door.

Various embodiments of the invention may readily be devised to suit special circumstances but, by reason of the fact that a helical spring, when at solid height, possesses great strength as a column while at the same time is easily deflected and readily collapsed upon the application of a deflecting force applied laterally, it is particularly suitable for use in a door holder of the type described. It further possesses the advantage that, by reason of its extensibility, the door may be swung open well past the point at which it is to be held, without danger to the mechanism. Springs entirely suitable for use in the fabrication of door securing devices of the type described are readily obtainable at small cost, and are extremely durable so that the improved door holder is inexpensive in original or first cost and its use involves no maintenance cost.

Associated with the holding device just described may be adjustment means for increasing or decreasing the sensitivity of the elongated column-like member to collapse so that the amount of pressure which must be applied to a door to effect its closure may be readily regulated to suit circumstances. When used in association with fire doors the novel holder may comprise mechanism including a fusible link which mechanism becomes active when the link fuses and causes collapse of the spring to permit immediate closure of the door. Means may likewise be provided to render the holder inoperative without dismantling the same, such means simply preventing the spring or elongated member from completely straightening and hence preventing it from functioning as a column at any time. A preferred form of the invention, selected for disclosure by way of example, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, together with several forms of certain of its component elements.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation the upper portion of a door and door frame, the door being illustrated in closed position and the door holder in its inoperative position;

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, the door being shown in open position in full lines, with the door holder in operation, and the door holder being shown in its inoperative position in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing portion of a door upon which is secured the bracket-like mount for one of the spring supporting parts;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bracketlike mount, and associated spring supporting part, which are adapted to be attached to one of the parts to be held in spaced relation;

Figure 6a is a longitudinal section through the mount shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6b is a similar view, showing certain of the parts in positions different from those in which they are shown in Figure 6a;

Figure 7 is a view showing in section one end of the spring member, a spring supporting part of modified form being illustrated, and likewise portion of a cable which may be used to prevent spring extension if spring extension is undesirable;

Figure 8 shows in plan, and Figure 9 in side elevation, one of the spring end supporting parts and its associated mount, to which a fusible link controlled automatically acting releasing mechanism has been applied;

Figure 10 is a diagram showing the door and door frame in various relative positions, the door holder being shown in corresponding positions;

Figure 11 shows the door holder in side elevation, in operative position, showing the means for modifying the sensitivity of the spring to collapse, curvature of the spring member being somewhat exaggerated;

Figure 12 is a plan view, partially broken away, of a door and door frame to which the holder has been applied, there being likewise shown a door closing mechanism of any conventional type and which normally tends to move the door to closed position;

Figure 13 is a generally similar view showing, however, the door holder interposed between door frame and one element of a door closing means;

Figure 14 shows, in side elevation, a modified form of the door holder, partially broken away;

Figure 15 is a plan view of one of the spring supports of this modified form of door holder;

Figure 1-6 is a side elevation of the same, showing the support in the position to which it is moved to effect collapse of the spring as a column; and

Figure 1'7 is a section on line II-Il of Figure 14.

As previously explained, the novel holding device may be employed to maintain in predetermined relationship relatively movable members of various kinds but is particularly suitable when utilized to maintain in open position a door of ordinary type, such as that indicated at H] in the drawings, and which is hingedly connected by conventional hinges II to a door frame l2. Ordinarily it is desired that the door to which the holder is applied be swung through an angle somewhat greater than 90 and maintained in such position and the holder shown is so designed that it will accomplish this result. The form of door holder illustrated in Figures 1 through 13 comprises an elongated helical spring, indicated generally at IA, of a type and size substantially the same as the well known helical spring now commonly employed as a door closing member. Member Hi might, under certain circumstances, be replaced by an elongated member of somewhat different type.

The spring supporting means shown in Figures 1 through 5 includes spring engaging and gripping parts [5 and I6 and bracket-like mountings l1 and I8 for these parts and by means of which the parts are attached to the door and door frame, respectively. The spring gripping part I5 is in the nature of a spindle one end of which is provided with a spring abutment 20 formed as an integral collar or flange the spring engaging annular surface of which is disposed in a plane at right angles to the axis of the spindle. Forwardly of the collar 20 the member 15 is provided with a threaded plug 2| (Figure l) which is adapted to be screwed into the end of the spring and which will, when so positioned, firmly grip that end for some distance, a number of the convolutions of the spring adjacent its end being supported firmly against relative movement. At its opposite end spindle I5 is provided with a portion 22 rectangular in cross section and having formed therein a cylindrical aperture which receives a pivot pin 24, the ends of pivot 24 being supported in parallel tongues 25 which form integral portions of the base of the mount or bracket IT.

The spring supporting part I5 is thus mounted for pivotal movement about an axis which extends in a generally vertical direction when bracket H is secured to a 'door. At one end, which is the end nearest the door hinge H, the base plate of mount I1 is perforated to receive a screw 2'! which enters the door and serves as a pivot about which the base plate of mount ll may be swung or adjusted, for reasons to be hereinafter explained. The opposite end of the base plate of the mounting H is provided with a transversely extending slot and through this slot extends a screw 28, which enters the door. The bracket or mount I! may, therefore, be angularly adjusted to a. limited extent about the axis of the screw 21 and secured in adjusted position by means of screw 28.

The opposite end of the elongated spring is mounted upon the spring supporting part 18, as previously explained, and this spring supporting part, which may be most clearly seen in Figure 5 has at one end a, collar as formed integral therewith and which comprises a spring abutment, and a threaded spring grip-ping plug 3 similar to plug 2 l, adapted to enter the end of spring l4 and thus secure against relative movement a number of convolutions of the spring adjacent the end thereof. That end of part H; which is remote from plug 3| is curved, as shown in Figures 2, 5 and 8, and its end is rigidly secured to a cylindrical hub 33 positioned between two parallel members 34 and 35 of the bracket or mount I8 which is to be attached to the undersurface of the topmember of a door frame, as by means such as screws 36 shown in Figure 2.

A pivot member, one end of which is indicated at 31, passes through aligned apertures in the members 34 and 35 and through a cylindrical axial aperture formed in the hub 33 so that the hub is thus mounted for rotation about the axis of pivot 31. Projecting laterally from hub 33 5, is a pin 38 and integral with or rigidly attached to the flange 3G is an abutment or stop member 39 which limits the movement of the pin in hub 33 in one direction of rotation.

The stop as thus: limits swinging movement of the hub 33 to a predetermined are of angular travel, the spring supporting part it being limited in its movement in a counterclockwise direction Figure 2) by contact of the-pin 38 against the stop and limited in a clockwise direction by. direct contact between part it and the stop. The spring may not, therefore, by any chance form a loop by collapsing laterally in a clockwise direction as the door is closed but must ultimately assume the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. The arrangement is such, however, that reversibility of the spring support is not preventedby the use of the limiting stop and pin 38. If the door holder is to be applied to a door which is hinged along its left hand vertical edge, instead of 'along the right edge as shown, the hub 33 can simply be turned over relatively to the supporting bracket so that the pin 33 and part It are reversed with respect to the stop St),

the stop being so placed that this may be done.

When the door is closed the spring supporting parts mounted, respectively, upon the door and door frame are in close proximity to each other,

as indicated in Figure l and also in Figure 2,

the spring support l5, when in closed position, being illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2. In the diagrammatic Figure 10 that position of the door which-corresponds to the position in which the door is shown in Figure 2, and in which position the holder is operative, is indicated by the letter A. With the door in this position the axis of the elongated spring it passes through the axis of pivot 24 but does not intersect the axis of pivot 37 due to the curvature of spring holding part it. The distance between the axis of the spring, prolonged, and the axis of the pivot 37, is indicated by the line r--y in Figures 2 and 10. The characteristics of the spring are such, however, that no minor foroe exerted upon the door It and tending to close the same will be effective in destroying the action of the spring as a, column, since the spring is at its solid height, nor will such minor force be efiective in causing the spring spring supporting part :5 to rotate about the pivot 37 to distort, bend, or laterally deflect that portion of the spring adjacent spring support i6 and thus bring about its collapse. The term solid height is used herein to describe the condition of a helical spring when its convolutions are in contact and which, therefore, can not be further compressed or shortened. The door will remain open until such fcrce is applied that the spring supporting part It will be caused to rotate, against the resistance of the spring, about pivot 31 through an angle which is sufiicient to bring about failure of the spring as a column immediately adjacent the end of plug 3!, whereupon the column action of the spring is destroyed throughout and it immediately becomes ineffective as a spacing or holding member.

The pressure necessary to thus eiTect collapse of the spring may be in the nature of a steadily increased force or a force applied as a blow with the aid of the door. Thus, by moving the door from position A (Figure 10), to position B, the spring bein extended somewhat and its axis being drawn toward (but not into coincidence with) a line passing through the axes of pivots 2!; and 31, it is possible to use the door to suddenly apply to the springa forceea-sily sumcient to bring about its collapse. If this is done. and thedoor moves through position A to position C the distance between the axes of pivots 2d and 31 is shortened, causing the hub 33 to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction (Figures 2 and 10) and the spring to be rather sharply bent or deflected in a zone just beyond the end or the spring gripping plug 3!, this bending or fiexure being sumciently great to cause complete collapse of th spring and destruction of its column action. Following this the door may be moved through position D and subsequent positions as it closes, the spring being gradually doubled upon itself and finally assuming the shape in which it is shown in Figures 1 and 3.

, By adjusting the angular position of the spring supporting spindle it, in the manner previously suggested, the sprin may be given a slight initial bias or curvature, as indicated in Figure 11 in an exaggerated manner, thus increasing the sensitiveness of the spring to collapse. It is thus possible to adjust the device in such manner that it may offer more or less resistance to closure or the associated door and the adjustment may be readily and easily effected.

A door closin device of conventional type is illustrated in Figure 12, this device including the sprin housing 58, arm 5! normally urged by a spring within housing 56 to rotate in a clockwise direction about a vertical axis passing through the spring housing 55, and a link 52 connectin the free end of arm 5! to the door frame. This mechanism, or any equivalent mechanism, may be employed for the purpose of moving the door toward closed position whenever it is open. The improved door holder is indicated generally at H and is attached to the door and door frame in the manner previously described. The door closing mechanism is always active, tending to move the door to closed position, but the door holder H is effective in holding the door open until released or collapsed. When the two instrumentalities are employed, however, perfect control over the position or" the door will be realized.

Under certain circumstances it may be desirable to render the door holder inoperative and the invention includes means for easily rendering this possible. This means comprises the member 55 which is secured to the base plate of bracket member ll in such manner as to be slidable from the position in which it is shown in Figure 6a to the position in which it is shown in Figure 6b. The securin means may conveniently comprise a friction spring clip 55 attached to bracket H by rivets or screws 5? which pass through a longitudinal slot 55a formed in member 55 and thus guide it in its movements. When member is moved forwardly from the position in which it is shown in Figure 6a to the position in which it is shown in Figure 6b it prevents the associated spring from assuming a straight or column like condition, the spring holding part 55 being prevented by member 55 from.

aligning itself with the spring axis. The holder will remain inoperative, and the door freely closable, until member 55 is returned to the position in which it is shown in Figure 5a.

The door holder may be attached to the door indirectly, as shown in Figure 13, instead of directly as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 12, one end of the holder being secured to the pivoted arm 52 of the door closing mechanism. When so attached it will support the door in open posi- I aerated tion exactly as before, and will collapse'unde'r axially applied force to permit the door to be closed, but will not be folded upon itself when the door is completely shut. Thus, when the door (Figure 13) is moved to closed position the spring member M of the holder will'move into the position, indicated at a, in which it is shown in dotted lines, and thereafter to a final position I). This is because the arm 52 of the closing mechanism first moves from the position in which it is shown in full lines to the extreme right hand, the position in which it is shown'(in dotted lines) as the door is closing, and finally to a position (also shown in dotted lines) normal to the closed door. Other mechanisms for indirectly attaching the door holder to door or door'fraine maybe utilized.

In Figures 14 to 17 inclusive there is shown a door holder in which the spring deflecting operation is accomplished by means different from that illustrated in Figures 1 through 13. Thus the spring gripping plug 69 comprises an axial extensionof the spindle 6i and there is rotatably mounted upon the opposite end of this spindle a roller 62 or other anti-friction means. Spindle GI is transversely slotted at 63, adjacent that end which carries the roller 82, and a pin 64 is disposed within this slot, the ends of the pin being mounted in the parallel flanges 65 of a bracket member B. A sleeve or collar 55, which receives and slidably supports the spindle G! is provided with aligned apertures to receive the pin '64, this collar comprising one abutment for the helical compression spring 61 which encircles the spindle. The second spring abutment E8 is also a sleeve encircling the spindle SI but this abutment is adjustable, having threaded engagement with the spindle. Spring 61 normally maintains the spindle in the position in which it is shown in Figures 14 and 17, with pin Ed at the left end of the slot 63 (Figure 17) and the stop ring Sla, which is seated in an annular groove formed in the spindle, resting against the end of sleeve 66. When sufficient pressure is applied to the door holder in an axial direction, however, the spring 6'! will yield, the spindle 8| will move or slide toward the left (Figure 17) and the roller 62 will make contact with an ride along the surface 70 of the can member B the surface of which is inclined to the axis of the spindle 6!. The spindle will thus be caused to rock about pin 64 as an axis and this rocking movement will continue until the spring H is bent or laterally deflected to such an extent, at a point just beyond the end of the spring gripping member 60, that the column action of the holder is broken. In this form of the invention a wedge is employed to break the column and, if desired, other types of mechanical means for breaking the column action of the door holder may be employed. Wedging or cam member B is adjustable, the screw passing through a slot c' therein. The distance which roller 52 must travel before contacting the inclined surface 10 may thus be varied and it becomes possible to adjust the holder for proper operation despite variations in angularity between spindle BI and the surface of the door, when the holder is applied to holdthe door at various angles.

In certain instances it may be desirable to provide means for preventing extension of the spring member of the door holder and such a means is illustrated in Figure 7. An inextensible but flexi ble cable 75 is passed through the spring member andtheends of this cable are anchored in the 8.. springsupportin gparts,'one'such part being 11- lustr'ated inFigure 7 and being indicated by the numeral 16. The end of the cable is received within an axial recess formed in'part lsand'is firmly secured therein in a suitable manner,-as for instance by pressing into the cable a'portion of the metallic wall of the part. The opposite end of the cable may be secured to the companion spring supporting part in a similar or equivalent manner. 7

Means for automatically effecting collapse of thedoor holder spring may be employed if desired, and one'such means is shown in Figures 8 and 9. Here the bracket member D has pivotally mounted thereon a lever one end of this lever beinglaterally deflected to provide an extension 80a adapted to strike the spring supporting spindle'8l, this spindle as well as the lever 80 being supported for rotation'about a'common axis by screw bolt 82. A'helical spring normally tends to swing the lever 80 'in such manner that its angularly disposed end portion 80a strikes the spindle 81, to move the spindle and destroy the column action of the spring. A fusible link 8311 connects pin 83, which is fixed upon lever 80, to an upstanding tongue or flange 84 of bracket D, this link normallypreventing movement of lever Bil-under the influence of the spring. When the link fails under heat the lever 80 will immediately swingto strike spindle 8|, the spindle will be moved, and the'door holder will permit closure of the door with which it is associated under the influence of a suitable door closing mechanism. Thereare two members, one at each end of the bracket D so that, when the door holder is applied to a door which is hingedly mounted'for swinging movement about its left hand vertical edge, and the'spindle 8] is reversed, the spring and fusible link may also be reversed and the automatic operation retained.

Other forms of automatically acting spring deflecting means may be employed, and the design and arrangement of the several elementsof the door holder may be considerably modified in adapting the invention to its various uses.

Having thus described the inventionywhat is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A door holder comprising an extensible helical spring which is normally straight and at solid height, and an attachment device at'each end of the spring, each such attachment device having a part firmly engaging and holding against a relativemovement a plurality of turns of that end of the spring which it engages, and a mount for each such part by which the door holder'may be attached to either of two relatively movable members such as a door and a door frame, at least one such part being rotatively supported on its associated mount for rotary movement about an axis transverse to the normal longitudinal axis of the spring, to bring about transverse flexure of the spring and thereby cause its collapse as a column, when said spring attachment devices are moved toward each other to apply a greater than predetermined pressure upon the spring as a column.

2. The'combination set forth in claim lin which said one such part is also supported on the associated mount for movement relatively associated mount for sliding movement in the dir'ction'of the normal spring axis,

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said one such part is also supported on the associated mount for movement in the direction of the normal spring axis, and said mount having thereon means for causing said part to rock when it is moved in the direction of the spring axis toward said mount.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said one such part is also supported on the associated mount for movement in the direction of the spring axis when the spring is in extended condition, and said mount having thereon a cam member against which said part bears when it is moved toward said mount to cause said part to rock and bend the spring.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said one such part is also supported on the associated mount for sliding movement, a cam is associated with the mount to cause said part to rotate as it slides, and resilient means 10 is provided to normally oppose sliding movement of said part.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the other such part is supported on the associated mount in such manner that the part may be adjusted to impart an initial curvature to the spring and thus reduce its resistance as a column.

OTIS J. HAWKS.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,916,882 Greene July 4, 1933 2,217,079 Ronning Oct. 8, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 51,314 Denmark Feb. 24, 1936 109,916 Australia Mar. 7, 1940 

